Prayagraj police detain ‘miscreants who infiltrated students protest’ over PCS, RO, ARO exams

The police detained alleged “infiltrators” during student protest against UPPSC exam schedule, leading to peaceful talks and legal action

On Thursday (November 14, 2024), the fourth day of the agitation against the decision of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) to conduct the Provincial Civil Services (PCS), review officer (RO), and assistant review officer (ARO) preliminary examinations in two days, the police detained the alleged “miscreants who infiltrated the students’ protest”.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Abhishek Bharti told reporters, “Peaceful agitation of the students is going on in front of the Public Service Commission here. Some miscreants with criminal tendencies entered among 50-60 students and tried to stop the students who were communicating with the administration.”

He said these “miscreants” were also trying to provoke the agitating students. “The police have detained them,” he said.

“No other student preparing for the exam has been detained. The women police force is present in Prayagraj, and peaceful talks are being held with everyone,” Mr. Bharti said.

“We are taking legal action as per rules against miscreants who are infiltrating among the students and misleading them. Also, the students who are protesting by blocking the road in front of the commission are being requested to go to the designated protest site and protest peacefully,” he said.

On the other hand, agitating student Himanshu Kushwaha said even though the protesters do not know each other personally, there is no political person there, and everyone is agitating with the same demand.

Asked if he knows the people who were taken into custody, a student named Rajiv Pandey said, “All of us are competitive students here and the police administration is picking up students to weaken this movement.”

The agitating students again started protesting on Thursday (November 14, 2024) morning and raised slogans against Commission chairman Sanjay Srinet. On Wednesday (November 13, 2024) evening, these students protested by taking out a candle march.

An agitating student, Gyanendra Kumar, said until their demands are not met, they will continue the protest, whether it lasts a week or several weeks.

“We are taking out a candle march against the adamant attitude of the commission,” he said.

UPPSC Secretary Ashok Kumar had earlier said, “The commission’s guideline is that only government educational institutions should be made examination centers, and the centre should be within 10 kilometers of the headquarters. Earlier, when the paper leaked, these students raised the demand that private institutions should not be made examination centres.”

“These students are protesting when the government made guidelines after considering the demands of the students. For the PCS exam, 5,76,000 candidates are registered, while centres are being found only for 4,35,000 candidates in all 75 districts. In such a situation, conducting the examination for two days is a compulsion,” he said.

The students sitting on the dharna in front of the gate of the Public Service Commission had placards with different slogans written in their hands. One of them read “Batenge Nahi, Hatnenge Nahi, Nyay Milne Tak Ek Rahenge,” while another one read “Ek Din, Ek Pariksha”.

The commission has declared the dates of December 7 and 8 for the PCS preliminary exam, while December 22 and 23 have been declared for the RO and ARO preliminary exam.

Published - November 14, 2024 05:37 pm IST